.pdrc for Windows WAS: Re: [PD] pd 0.37.1 Windows installer release candidate

[Hans-Christoph Steiner]

On Thursday, Apr 1, 2004, at 04:03 America/New_York, Mathieu Bouchard  
wrote:

>
> On Mon, 29 Mar 2004, Hans-Christoph Steiner wrote:
>
>>> In the IMPD branch I have patched s_main.c
>>> and s_path.c so that it looks for .pdrc in one additional
>>> directory, which is the main directory of Pd.
>>> Essentially I am using the value of sys_libdir.
>>
>> I don't think that that's necessary in order to get .pdrc files  
>> working
>> on Windows. Windows can have a home dir set like UNIX, so it could  
>> just
>> as easily go there.
>
> There's a difference between necessary and convenient. I'm not sure
> Windows users should be required to set HOME themselves, and I don't  
> think
> it's set by default, but then, what do I know about win32.

Its set automatically, its called %USERPROFILE%


>> but perhaps it should then have a different name, like pd.rc or
>> pd.conf.
>
> Yeah, I recommended "pd.ini" when Carmen told me win32 apps usually  
> refuse
> to edit files named like ".pdrc"...

I don't think it should be .ini because that means a specific type of  
Windows file.  It should be something like pdrc.txt.  Then editors will  
handle it correctly.

>
> On Tue, 30 Mar 2004 zmoelnig at iem.at wrote:
>
>> the users-preferences should overwrite the system defaults. (but why ?
>> it just makes more sense to me), but they should really be merged.
>
> Can you be more clear on what you call overwrite (you probably mean
> override) and what's the difference with merged

For simplicity's sake, its probably best to have the system .pdrc  
ignored if the user sets one.

>> and being at this, we would like a command flag "-rcfile <file>" to
>> solely use another rcfile.
>
> That could be an interesting option, though I'm trying to keep in mind
> that there will be a pdrc editor dialog real soon now and what would  
> be a
> good way for that dialog to handle -rcfile and defaults and
> fallbacks/merges/overrides/however-we-call-it, in a friendly manner...

I like this option as including another conf file, rather than  
replacing the existing one.

As for the .bat files, I say ditch them.  Then pd will behave the same  
on all platforms.   If people really want to continue using batch  
files, they can write a bunch of pdrc.txt files, then in the batch file  
put: pd --rcfile my-pdrc.txt  This will make handling batch files  
easier too.

.hc
________________________________________________________________________ 
____

Man has survived hitherto because he was too ignorant to know how to  
realize his wishes.
Now that he can realize them, he must either change them, or perish.
		                                     -William Carlos Williams

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